Politician Finds Actual Rocky Statue

Yes, the Bulletin is still fighting the Barnes Foundation move; today the paper writes about Pennsylvania attorney general candidate John Morganelli promises to fight the move if elected. The Bulletin wants the Barnes to stay so much they put a Democrat on the front (!).

Anyway, apparently it is possible to get a real-looking statue of Rocky for your campaign event. Hear that, Michael Untermeyer?

Editor’s Note: Of course, by “actual,” I mean “cardboard.”

Keeping The Fight Going [The Bulletin]

Serbian Village To Be Subject Of Rocky Doc

Earlier this year, the Serbian village of Zitiste decided to erect a statue of Rocky to help the citizens get through hard times, and by “hard times” I mean “floods.”

Now, there is a documentary coming out about the movie: “There was this little village in Serbia and they wanted to get a statue of Rocky Balboa because they were having a lot of misfortunes in their village and they thought that having a Rocky statue would bring them hope. I thought that was such a sweet story, it would make a good documentary.”

Oh, so it’s going to be positive? That’s not as fun, then.

See also: Rocky statue unveiling video

Yo, Adriatic!

Earlier this year, the town of Zitiste, Serbia, erected a statue of Rocky Balboa and flanked it with giant chickens in order to show the town’s hard-working spirit.

Well, move over, Sly, because more fictional characters are coming to Eastern Europe! The New York Times reports today towns in Serbia have erected or are planning on erecting statues of Tarzan, Bruce Lee and topless model Samantha Fox. (One would only imagine the reporter was simply fooled — “Ha! We made that guy from the Times think we’re building a statue to Samantha Fox!” they’d say, in Serbian or whatever — on that last one, but he writes: “Officials boasted that the statue would be larger than Rocky, but so far the only sign of Ms. Fox’s likeness is an empty pedestal in a local art gallery, with the word ‘rumors’ written on it.”)

The statues are uplifting to some, but Serbian visual artist Milica Tomic called the statues “a dangerous joke in which history is being erased and replaced by Mickey Mouse.” (Note to Tomic: You’re supposed to use Donald Duck for these analogies.)

“This turning to Rocky or Tarzan is unhealthy and dangerous,” she said. “We need to find a way of representing our grief, our responsibility and our despair. Until we do that, Serbia cannot come to terms with the present and the future.”

Samantha Fox, though, now that’s inspiration.

And Now, Video Of The Historic Moment

Thanks to YouTube and a Serbian with a camcorder, there is now video of the unveiling of the Rocky Balboa statue in Žitište, Serbia. If you’re wondering, this unveiling took place at an event called “Chicken Fest,” and you can see funny band names in a promo here. (Ha ha! Rambo Amadeus!)

Be sure to watch the unveiling video at least halfway through, where you can hear an incredibly spot-on impression of Rocky Balboa.

Serbia Zitiste Dzingl Chicken fest [YouTube]
Rocky Balboa Monument in Serbia [YouTube]

Cocks Dig Rocky

Earlier this year, a small town in Serbia announced it was going to put up a Rocky statue in order to distract the citizens from the giant floods and landslides it had suffered. Putting up a likeness of Rocky Balboa would inspire the citizens of Zitiste, about 35 miles north of Belgrade.

They have now unveiled the statue, along with a few giant chickens. (Perhaps Rocky will fight a giant chicken in Rocky VII.) “Our idea has really stirred the public,” said the mayor, Zoran Kasalovic. “Now, no one in Serbia can say they don’t know about Zitiste.” Or its giant chickens.

Serbian village unveils Rocky Balboa statue [AP/MSNBC.com]
[Photo via AP/Yahoo]

Where Do All the Rockys Meet?

Now that it’s not a done deal that the Rocky statue will grace the outside of the Art Museum, other parts of the city are chiming in to say that they would like to be a surrogate caretaker of the statue.

To wit: The South Street Headhouse District wants to install the statue at 2nd and South. Yes, the island in the middle of the street — the one that’s surrounded by parked cars most of the time — has been touted as a possible location for the statue.

And why would it be a good location for the statue? SSHD Executive Director Dave Hammond explains:

In describing South Street as the “hippest street in town,” Hammond said the intersection of Second and South streets attracts some of the city’s biggest crowds.

He proposed putting the statue on the large traffic island there, which is passed daily by the amphibious Duck rides, the trolley, buses and horse-drawn carriages.

“Tourists would know where to find the statue,” Hammond said. “And could make their way back to South Street upon completion of their tour and get their picture taken with Rocky.”

Just what we need: The Rocky statue surrounded by a thousand quacking tourists.

South St. pining for Rocky [Metro]
Yesterday: An Oop De Doo For ‘Rocky’

An Oop De Doo For ‘Rocky’

Way back in May, the Fairmount Park Commission announced it was going to move the Rocky statue to the side of the Art Museum. It seemed like a move that would please everyone: The Art Museum doesn’t have to put a giant ad for the new Rocky movie on the top of the steps, tourists going to the Art Museum steps can get their photos taken with the statue in an out-of-the-way place and birds have a new place to shit.

Of course, then we remembered: This is Philadelphia. Yesterday, the city Art Commission put the kibosh on the idea, at least for now. Commissioner Moe Brooker’s reasoning:

“It’s not art,” said artist Moe Brooker, a commissioner. “It was a prop.”

Aw, c’mon, Moe. Can’t you see the similarities between your work, Oop De Doo (pictured, available for $500 from Brandywine Workshop), and the Rocky statue?

Tell you what: We’ll put it at the top of the Art Museum steps, call it a meta-commentary on the comercialization of American art and charge $25 to get your photo taken with it. Hell, we’ll cover the Art Museum steps with a giant print of Oop De Doo, too, and sell prints of that. It’ll be so artistic our heads’ll explode.

Art Commission doesn’t like site near museum for ‘Rocky’ [Inquirer]
May 21: People Quackers Over ‘Rocky’ Statue